Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir has given the green light to the “Weerbaar Water-Land-Schap” project that aims to prepare several areas for extreme events, such as droughts or floods, the Flemish Agency for Spatial Planning (VLM) said on Wednesday.
The plans will see Flanders invest €5 million to solve water-related problems in rural areas, preferably working in collaboration with local landowners. The aim is a landscape system that first maximises water retention for infiltration then reuses the remaining water or drains it away if necessary.
The first phase of the project calls on local actors in the upstream areas of the Yser, the Lys between Courtrai and Roeselare, the Gette region (Flemish Brabant) and the Herk and Mombeek valleys to draw up an objective and action plan.
The second phase will see these plans implemented starting in 2024. These four locations were chosen because of their pre-existing ambitious climate actions and measures. According to experts, 25 other Flemish regions could also be considered for projects of this kind.
